Native American Spider Mythology

Spiders play important roles in the mythology of many Native American tribes. In Southwestern tribes,
spiders are associated with the culturally important art of weaving, and wise spider goddesses give their
assistance to the people as culture heroes.

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On the other hand, many Plains tribes feature Spider as a
rough trickster god, ranging from an inappropriate but entertaining rogue in some stories to a
violent and slightly deranged criminal in others. To the Osage, spiders were a special symbol of
patience and endurance. To the Blackfoot, they represented intelligence and skillfulness.
The Ojibwe associated spider webs with their dream catchers,
a type of traditional hand-woven Ojibwe craft meant to filter out bad dreams which has become popular among many different
tribes today. And to many Native Americans, it still is considered bad luck to kill a spider today.

Spiders are also used as clan animals in some Native American cultures. Tribes with Spider Clans
include the Hopi tribe, whose Spider Clan is named Kookyangwngyam or Koking-wungwa.

Native American Spider Gods and Spirits

Native American Legends About Spiders

Osage Spider Story:
Osage Indian legend about the importance of the spider.
The Spider Woman and the Twins:
Hopi legend about the birth of Spider Grandmother and her first creations.
The Story of Spider Rock:
Legends about the Navajo Indian goddess Spider Woman teaching the people to weave and rescuing a lost Navajo boy.
Legend of Ehep:
Cree Spider legend about the first people being lowered to earth on a web.
A Spider Myth:
Lenape legend about the origin of spiders. (We suspect that this is not actually a traditional Lenape story
at all, but actually a Lenape retelling of the Greek myth of Arachne. Nonetheless it is a nice story.)
The Spider Twins:
Achumawi story about a family of spiders helping the animals to end winter.

Recommended Books of Spider Stories from Native American Myth and Legend